The Polar Pathogen and Microbial Ecosystems Lab investigates the complex interactions between wildlife, pathogens, and microbial communities in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic ecosystems. Through flagship projects such as POLARMIC (Host-Microbiome Interaction Studies in Antarctic Ecosystems) and ANTPATH (Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Pathogens in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Wildlife), the lab aims to advance understanding of disease dynamics, microbial ecology, and environmental change in some of the planet’s most extreme habitats. Our interdisciplinary approach combines fieldwork, molecular biology, and ecological modelling to inform conservation and biosecurity strategies in polar regions. Our research aims to understand how microbial communities and pathogens affect wildlife health, fitness, and disease risk, particularly in the context of climate change and emerging diseases such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and Pasteurella multocida (Avian Cholera). Over the past five years, we have been building a long-term microbial databases via these two flagship projects.
POLARMIC: Host-Microbiome Interaction Studies in Antarctic Ecosystems
Polar ecosystems are experiencing unprecedented environmental shifts, yet the intricate relationships between native wildlife and their microbiomes remain critically understudied. POLARMIC seeks to unravel these microbial dynamics through field-based sampling, genomic analysis, and ecological modelling, providing transformative insights into the health, adaptation, and resilience of Antarctic species. By bridging wildlife biology and microbial ecology, this project will establish a foundational framework for monitoring ecosystem responses to climate change and inform conservation strategies at a global scale.
This multidisciplinary project will explore how microbiomes influence species adaptation, behaviour, and ecosystem function in key Antarctic fauna—including penguins, seals, and seabirds. By mapping microbial communities and identifying environmental drivers of microbial shifts, the research will address critical knowledge gaps in polar biology and global biodiversity conservation. This project aims to:
- Characterize the Microbiomes of Antarctic Wildlife
- Explore Host–Microbiome–Environment Interactions
- Monitor Climate-Driven Microbial Shifts
- Assess the Role of Microbiomes in Wildlife Adaptation
- Establish Baseline Microbial Data for Conservation Policy
As a strategic initiative aligning with national environmental priorities and ARC’s mission to support transformative science, POLARMIC will position Australia at the forefront of polar microbiome research, strengthening our response to global environmental change through data-driven insight and scientific stewardship
The Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions are warming at unprecedented rates, threatening fragile ecosystems and accelerating the emergence and spread of wildlife pathogens. ANTPATH investigates the spatial and temporal distribution of infectious agents across diverse species and habitats, combining field sampling, genomic surveillance, and ecological modelling. This integrative approach will uncover drivers of pathogen emergence, identify zones of vulnerability, and inform disease mitigation strategies critical to preserving polar biodiversity in a changing climate.
As polar regions undergo rapid climate-induced transformations, new opportunities arise for pathogen emergence, spread, and host vulnerability in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic ecosystems. Yet, pathogen surveillance in these remote environments remains fragmented, and the ecological factors shaping disease dynamics are poorly understood. ANTPATH takes a systematic, spatiotemporal approach to identifying and tracking pathogenic agents across wildlife species and habitats. Through coordinated field expeditions, genomic monitoring, and ecological analytics, the project will characterize microbial threats and explore the biological and environmental mechanisms that govern their movement and impact. This multidisciplinary research effort will:
- Map pathogen diversity and distribution across Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fauna
- Investigate seasonal and climate-driven fluctuations in infection patterns
- Identify ecological hot zones for microbial risk and host susceptibility
- Establish predictive models for disease emergence and transmission
- Support evidence-based conservation and biosecurity policy development
Outcomes from ANTPATH will provide foundational data for global efforts in polar biodiversity protection, bolster Australia’s leadership in infectious disease ecology, and contribute to international One Health initiatives aimed at preventing future pandemics from regions under environmental stress.
THE TEAM
Dr Meagan Dewar, Chielf Investigator
Lecturer in Biological Sciences | Federation University Australia Dr. Meagan Dewar is a prominent Australian wildlife biologist specializing in host-microbiome interactions and pathogens in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic wildlife. m.dewar@federation.edu.au
Collaborators
Dr Ashley Olson, Lecturer | Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia https://federation.edu.au/institutes-and-schools/iiss/staff-profiles/staff-profiles/ashley-r.-olson Dr Michelle Wille, ARC Future Fellow | WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza https://www.michellewille.com/ Professor Marcel Klaassen, Professor | Facultry of Science, Deakin University Australia https://experts.deakin.edu.au/917-marcel-klaassen Dr Louise Emmerson, Seabird Ecologist | Seabird Ecology Research group, Australian Antarctic Division https://www.antarctica.gov.au/science/meet-our-scientists/dr-louise-emmerson/ Dr Jose Seco, Seabird Biologist | Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) at the University of Coimbra
PhD Students Sara Santos | Interactions between contaminants, pathogens and health of Antarctic Wildlife Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) at the University of Coimbra
Sponsors
Past and Present Partners
Use Reference Code: Antarctica For sponsorship opportunities contact Meagan Dewar m.dewar@federation.edu.au
What will your donation buy. Below are some examples of how your donation can help our research $25 - Collection kit for 8 samples $50 - Collection kit for 16 samples $100 - Sample Collection for 30 samples $250 - Microbial Analysis for 5 samples $500 - Microbial Analysis for 10 samples $1000 - Microbial Analysis for 20 samples/ HPAI testing for 50 samples $5000 - Return airfares for field member from Australia to Punta Arenas/Ushuaia
Newsletter
If you’d like to continue to hear about our work and findings throughout the season and after we return home sign up to our mailing list here Visit https://forms.gle/h8nWJamEyT6uCkvE7
Publications
Full list of Publications - Research Gate
- Wille, M., Abbott, W., Day, D., Deng, Y.M., Dong, X., Gibson, T., Hope-Inglis, R., McCulley, M., Olsson, I., Varsani, A. 2026. Skuas as sentinels of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 on the Antarctic Peninsula in the 2024/2025 austral summer. bioRxiv 2026.02.15.706047; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.15.706047 (In Press in Microbial Genomics)
- Iervolino, M., Günther, A., Begeman, L. et al. The expanding H5N1 avian influenza panzootic causes high mortality of skuas in Antarctica. Sci Rep 16, 4604 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34736-3
- Iervolino, M., Günther, A., Schuele, L., Soto, F., Leijten, L., Bestebroer, T.M., Coerper, A., Reade, A., Wallis, B., Lisovski, S., Beer, M., Dewar, M.L., Kuiken, T., Begeman, L., Vanstreels, R.E.T. Mass mortality at penguin mega-colonies due to avian cholera confounds H5N1 HPAIV surveillance in Antarctica. bioRxiv 2025.12.16.694678; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.16.694678
- Low, Y.S., Jauregui, R., Calcott, B. et al. Development of a portable avian influenza virus characterisation system: bringing the inside-out. Sci Rep 16, 2952 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-32771-8
- McCulley M., Dewar M.L., Low Y.S., Wilson A., Jauregui R., Chernyavtseva A., O'Keefe J. 2025. High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus detected in brown Skua using portable laboratory while at sea in Antarctica. Microbiol Resour Announc 14:e00041-25. https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00041-25
- Wille, M., Dewar, M.L., Claes, F., Thielen, P., Karlsson E.A. 2025. A call to innovate Antarctic avian influenza surveillance. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 40(3) 248-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.005
- Kuiken, T., Vanstreels, R. E. T., Banyard, A., Begeman, L., Breed, A. C., Dewar, M., Fijn, R., Serafini, P. P., Uhart, M., & Wille, M. (2026). Emergence, spread, and impact of high-pathogenicity avian influenza H5 in wild birds and mammals of South America and Antarctica. Conservation Biology, 40, e70052. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70052
- Lisovski, S., Günther, A., Dewar, M., Ainley, D., Aldunate, F., Arce, R., Ballard, G., Bauer, S., Belliure, J., Banyard, A., Boulinier, T., Bennison, A., Braun, C., Cary, C., Catry, P., Clessin, A., Connan, M., Correia, E., Cox, A., Cristina, J., Elrod, M., Emerit, J., Ferreiro, I., Fowler, Z., Gamble, A., Granadeiro, J., Hurtado, J., Jongsomjit, D., Lesage, C., Lejeune, M., Kuepfer, A., Lescroël, A., Li, A., McDonald, I., Menéndez-Blázquez, J., Morandini, V., Moratorio, G., Militão, T., Moreno, P., Perbolianachis, P., Pennycook, J., Raslan, M., Reid, S., Richards-Babbage, R., Schmidt, A., Sander, M., Smyth, L., Soutullo, A., Stanworth, A., Streith, L., Tornos, J., Varsani, A., Herzschuh, U., Beer, M. and Wille, M. (2024), Unexpected Delayed Incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) Into the Antarctic Region. Influenza Other Respi Viruses, 18: e70010. https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.70010
- Dewar M, Wille M, Gamble A, et al. The risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Southern Ocean: a practical guide for operators and scientists interacting with wildlife. Antarctic Science. 2023;35(6):407-414. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102023000342
Past Media Engagements
ABC 7:30 report 2025 The deadly H5N1 bird flu is only a few steps away from 'pandemic potential' ‘Pandemic potential’ on our doorstep 2024
Bird flu has breached remote Antarctica. Is Australia next?
Unprecedented trail of destruction